


Almost Like Kirk In Every Way

by LdyAnne



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Challenge Response, Established Relationship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-07
Updated: 2011-08-07
Packaged: 2017-10-22 08:30:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/236123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LdyAnne/pseuds/LdyAnne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just how is John Sheppard like James T. Kirk? This was written for the Not Dead Yet challenge on Flashfic, so I will not be issuing a character death warning.  I hope you'll just trust me and read the whole story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Almost Like Kirk In Every Way

The planet was as hot as holy hell, which Rodney thought was appropriate in so many ways. The craggy cliffs around them rose up to box them in and to trap the heat that rippled up in waves from the sand and rock that they stood on. His breath came in gasps and it had everything to do with the heat and nothing at all to do with the body of John Sheppard that lay on the rocky ground at their feet, bloody and lifeless.

Everyone was silent as they watched the High Fucking Holy Man kneel down beside Sheppard and place two fingers on the side of his neck. Rodney clutched at his arms because he had to do something or he was going to go crazy and go over and shoot the holy man. And that wouldn't solve anything and Sheppard would still be dead.

Sheppard was dead. It washed over Rodney in a wave and he almost cried out from the pain of it.

Carson had a hand wrapped around Rodney's bicep. Maybe it was supposed to be comforting. Maybe it was just supposed to keep Rodney from going over and shooting someone, which would just negate what John had done in order to buy their freedom.

No one really knew what set the natives off. Everything had been going well until it wasn't anymore, until they were surrounded by natives intent on taking their lives for an offense that none of them knew they had committed. The high holy man as leader of the people had demanded that one of the team take part in a fight to the death in order to avenge their wronged honor. At least that was the way Rodney understood it.

 _"If I fight you, will you let my team go?"_ John had asked. His voice had been easy and casual, like he was negotiating the price of trade goods or whether it might rain soon or not.

Now he was dead.

Rodney's breath came in great gasps, unable to find any air in the heat. Spots were dancing in front of his eyes and all that he really wanted was to scream and yell and blow the whole fucking planet up. Carson squeezed his arm.

"Rodney," he said, his tone advising caution.

Oh, yeah, now was a great time to advise caution. But Rodney didn't take out his gun and shoot anyone like he wanted to. Instead he walked over to Sheppard and knelt down to feel for the absence of a pulse for himself.

Sheppard still looked alive; there was still a blush of color to his cheeks. There was a deep cut on one arm and a bruise high on one cheek that was already starting to turn purple. Rodney put two shaking fingers on Sheppard's neck. He waiting long seconds and then moved his fingers just to be sure, but there was nothing there. There was no pulse just below the skin that was still warm, no breath to stir the chest.

Sheppard was dead.

He looked up at the High Holy Man and leader of his people. The sun was directly overhead and Rodney had to squint to see him.

"Can we go now? Or are you going to go back on your word and kill the rest of us?" he asked, his lips pressed together hard to keep the rest of the words in.

The leader of the village nodded, "And do not return."

"Oh, you can count on it," Rodney promised them.

Standing, he stepped back and let Ronon lift Sheppard's body onto his shoulders. Rodney wanted to carry Sheppard himself, but he knew there was no way he could do it in the heat. There was no way he could do it period, but he would have tried.

The walk back to the gate was quiet and somber. Teyla looked at him sideways from time to time as if she wanted to say something, but each time she gave a sad sigh and said nothing. Rodney walked along next to Ronon and Sheppard lost in his own bubble of misery and grief.

~~~~~

The medical team was waiting for them on the other side of the gate and Ronon laid Sheppard gently on the gurney. Ronon trailed after as they took off toward the infirmary running.

"What happened?" Elizabeth called from the balcony, but Rodney ignored her. He stared after the departing gurney, unable to move, unable to think.

Sheppard was dead.

"Dr. McKay?" Teyla's voice seemed to come from far away. "Are you not going to the infirmary?"

He wanted to, but his feet wouldn't move.

Rodney tried to breath, but there wasn't enough air in the gateroom. He felt Teyla's hand on his arm as he swayed to the side. He heard her murmur something in a concerned tone and then he didn't know anything else as he followed Sheppard into the darkness.

~~~~~~

It was late when Rodney woke. The infirmary was dark and quiet with only a heart monitor beeping in a reassuring rhythm somewhere nearby. His thoughts were scattered and he couldn't remember for a long moment why he was in the infirmary when he seemed to be in fairly good health for a change. Then he remembered.

Sheppard was dead.

He sat up in the bed, kicking his feet to throw the covers off. Wildly he looked around for Carson or one of his team, but the place seemed to be deserted.

"Hey," a voice coming from the bed next to him startled Rodney. He turned and his mouth fell open when he saw who was lying there. His eyes narrowed as he climbed out of the bed and stalked over to stand at Sheppard's bedside.

"You are James T. Fucking Kirk, aren't you?" he hissed. "I can't believe you did that. What do you think before you do things like that?" Rodney didn't pause to give Sheppard time to answer, "Oh, I know, 'I haven't told anyone to stop my heart today, and I'm getting out of practice?'" He folded his arms and glared down at Sheppard.

Sheppard just smirked at him and shrugged. "It worked didn't it? They let you guys go because they thought I was dead."

"What if it hadn't worked?" Rodney demanded, his voice quietly furious. "What if they wanted to keep your body? What then? Then you'd really be dead." Rodney was shaking in his anger.

"Hey, Rodney," Sheppard shifted in the bed, wincing a little when he did so. Because there had been a fight to the death with actual injuries if not actual death. "They were going to make one of us fight to the death anyway. If we'd killed one of their people, do you really think they would have let any of us go?"

"Oh, don't try using logic on me, Sheppard, it's not going to work this time," Rodney hissed at him. "I've had enough of you almost dying in order to save everyone else. Let someone else take a turn for a change. You could have let one of us do it"

"I appreciate the thought, Rodney, but Beckett said he didn't know how the drug would affect Ronon and there's no way any of us would have let Teyla do it. Although she's probably the only one who could have kicked that guy's ass," Sheppard smirked up at Rodney, trying to charm his way into forgiveness.

Rodney just thrust out his chin stubbornly. "I could have done it. It was my turn, you know."

John smiled fondly. He reached over and capturing one of Rodney's hands, he curled his fingers around Rodney's. "You know I couldn't do that. There's no way I could have let you die like that. Even if it was just an act, there were too many things that could have gone wrong." He rubbed the back of Rodney's hand with his thumb.

"But *I'm* supposed to let you? You are unbelievable!" Rodney thought about jerking his hand away, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. It was just too good to feel the warmth of Sheppard's hand, the caress of his thumb against Rodney's hand.

"I thought I was Kirk," Sheppard said, his smile growing wider as he sensed that victory was near.

"Oh, don't think I'm going to get over it just like that," Rodney snapped at him, but his anger was fading with every sweep of Sheppard's thumb. "You're going to owe me your desert for a month, and you're going to come down to the lab whenever I want and play light switch, and you're going to take me up in the jumper and give me lessons every day this week." Rodney's voice died out as Sheppard tugged on his hand and drew him down so he could kiss him, soft and sweet.

Rodney pushed back after a moment, although he really, really didn't want to. Someone had to be sensible and watch out for Sheppard's career, even if he wasn't going to. "Are you insane?" He gave a furtive glance around the infirmary.

"Relax," Sheppard soothed, pulling Rodney to sit on the bed next to him. "Carson's the only one on duty tonight and he told me he was going to be in his lab working on an experiment. If I need him, I'm supposed to push the call button."

Finally, Rodney let himself relax and just drink in the sight of Sheppard, alive and well and breathing. He'd known that they were supposed to be able to revive him once they'd gotten to the other side of the worm hole back to Atlantis. But things went south for them far too often and he had been so afraid...

Rodney put his hand on John's chest so he could feel his heart beating – sure and strong.

"I'm alive," John assured him, he laid his hand on top of Rodney's.

"Do we get to have celebratory 'you're not dead yet' sex?" Rodney demanded.

"Sure, just as soon as Carson lets me out of here," John promised. He pulled Rodney down into another kiss and Rodney went needing to feel the warm lips under his, the warm flesh under his fingers.

Rodney kissed him back, letting himself finally feel the relief at last. The conversation wasn't over yet, because John had to understand he couldn't do shit like that. But for that moment, John was alive, and that was the most important thing.

"Kirk," he murmured into John's mouth.

"What does that make you, Yeoman Rand?" John asked, his mouth quirking up into a grin.

"Oh, please," Rodney said with disdain, "Everyone knows Kirk was sleeping with Spock."

Then there was no conversation at all as they reminded themselves they were still alive in the best possible way.

  


  


  
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This story archived at <http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=13468>  



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